109 Palestinians killed as Israel resumes attacks on Gaza houses,
Pakistan demands investigation into attacks on hospitals, residential areas in Gaza: FO
Gaza/Islamabad(Webdesk)_Israeli fighter jets hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday shortly after a weeklong truce expired, the military said, as the war resumed in full force. The Hamas-run health ministry said that at least 109 people had been killed in Gaza since the pause in hostilities expired in the morning and ground battles and Israel air strikes resumed
Airstrikes hit southern Gaza, including the community of Abassan east of the town of Khan Younis, the Interior Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said. Another strike hit a home northwest of Gaza City.
Loud, continuous explosions were heard coming from the Gaza Strip and black smoke billowed from the territory.
In Israel, sirens blared at three communal farms near Gaza warning of incoming rocket fire, suggesting Hamas had also resumed its attacks.
The Israeli military’s announcement of the strikes came only 30 minutes after the cease-fire expired at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday.
Earlier Friday, Israel accused Hamas of having violated the terms of the cease-fire, including by firing rockets toward Israel from Gaza.
Fighting resumed in Gaza on Friday immediately after the expiry of a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas, with the first fatalities reported minutes later, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.
An AFPTV livecam showed a heavy cloud of grey smoke rolling over northern Gaza, and apparent sounds of automatic weapons fire and explosions within the first 90 minutes after the truce expired at 0500 GMT.
Israel’s military said fighter jets were “currently striking” Hamas targets in Gaza, and AFP journalists reported air strikes in the north and south of the territory.
Marwan al-Hams, the director of Al-Najar hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza, where many Palestinians fled after being told by Israel to leave the north of the territory,
The Gaza health ministry said more than 60 people had been killed on Friday after a truce between Israel and Hamas expired and fighting resumed.
The ministry has also tallied “dozens of wounded in air strikes on civilians”, it said in a statement.
Elsewhere, two children were killed in air raids on Gaza City, said Fadel Naim, a doctor with Al-Ahli hospital in the city.
A source close to Hamas told AFP the group’s armed wing had received “the order to resume combat” and to “defend the Gaza Strip”, with heavy fighting reported in parts of Gaza City.
Combat resumed shortly after Israel’s army said it had intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza, the first from the territory since a missile launched minutes into the start of the truce on November 24.
Eariler,
Pakistan on Friday demanded an investigation into the attacks on hospitals, mosques and residential areas in Gaza by the Israeli forces.
During the weekly briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch expressed concern over the Palestine situation.
She said atrocities on Palestinians should be stopped as Israel continued to annihilate unarmed people of Gaza. She said Pakistan stands along the Palestinians.
The spokesperson said Pakistan was delivering aid to Gaza through Rafah crossing. “The world is facing difficulties in delivering aid to besieged Gazans due to Israel’s blockade,” Ms Baloch added.
She said Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had raised voice in favour of Palestine and strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli brutalities. She urged the international community to take immediate action on the situation in Palestine.
Ms Baloch said India was committing serious violations of human rights in the occupied Kashmir. The world should take notice of Indian oppression of Kashmiri people and force India to stop atrocities.
Speaking about Afghanistan, the spokesperson said the country had been in political turmoil for a long time. “The international community has a responsibility to help the Afghan people and rebuild the country.”
“Pakistan sympathises with the Afghan people for long uncertainty,” she continued.
The spokesperson said Islamabad didn’t consider it appropriate to respond to the anti-Pakistan statements by the Afghan officials.
She said repatriation of Afghans living illegally was going on smoothly. A large number of them are returning voluntarily. Now, Afghan citizens will be required to obtain a visa to visit Pakistan, she stated.
The spokesperson expressed concern over the use of Afghan territory for terrorism in Pakistan. “We hope that the Afghan authorities will take action against the TTP,” Ms Baloch concluded.
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